AMBITION Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'ambition' different from other nouns like it?

The words aspiration and pretension are common synonyms of ambition . While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire. // driven by ambition

Q: When would 'aspiration' be a good substitute for 'ambition'?

Although the words aspiration and ambition have much in common, aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself. // an aspiration to become president someday

Q: In what contexts can 'pretension' take the place of 'ambition'?

In some situations, the words pretension and ambition are roughly equivalent. However, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption. // has literary pretensions

ambition

noun

am-ˈbi-shən

Definition of ambition

as in aspiration

eager desire for personal advancement "Talent without ambition will not make you a star," the singer's voice coach liked to remind her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in initiative

readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity the ambition shown by the undersea explorers of the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish his ambition is to study international business, then get a job overseas

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ambition different from other nouns like it?

The words aspiration and pretension are common synonyms of ambition. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

When would aspiration be a good substitute for ambition?

Although the words aspiration and ambition have much in common, aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

In what contexts can pretension take the place of ambition?

In some situations, the words pretension and ambition are roughly equivalent. However, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ambition One of the themes in Wolf’s Belly is the danger of wanting too much and what happens when we’re swallowed up by our own ambitions. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Parton approached her pop and mainstream ambitions with a keen sense of self-aware intentionality. — Stephen L. Betts, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026 SpaceX unveiled plans Tuesday to build a Starship rocket launch complex in southern Louisiana, a $100 billion effort poised to transform coastal wetlands into a critical base ‌for the company’s AI satellite launch ambitions. — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 Those ambitions, and justification for SpaceX’s nearly $2 trillion market cap, hinge on the success of Starship. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambition

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambition

Noun

The 22-year old’s aspiration to return to America’s favorite amateur sport signals just how big college football has become.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Summary The American Dream, a vision of a better life regardless of one's start, remains a powerful aspiration.

— True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of aspiration

Noun

This week in metro Atlanta, participate in a worldwide pay-what-you-can initiative, enjoy a nostalgic brunch at Ruby Chow’s and taste four wines for $10 inside a hair salon.

— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Like the focus on artificial dyes, however, many of the administration's highest-profile health initiatives rely on voluntary agreements.

— Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of initiative

Noun

The conference said its rule would apply independently of the status of NCAA eligibility determinations.

— Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
In his ruling Gayles rejected the government’s argument that Vorbe could be held in mandatory detention without a bond hearing simply because of Rubio’s determination in a letter.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of determination

Noun

Other than Bessent’s comments, there few details on specific actions, said Jodie Wen, postdoctoral fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
His frantic paranoia makes the scene genuinely hard to read and sets the stage for his horrifying actions during the climax.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of action

Noun

Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Thankfully, his reappearance in the show actually has a deeper purpose.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 ranks EI skills like resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership, social influence, motivation, and self-awareness as among the top ten most desirable skills.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The Whisper Man director James Ashcroft explains the motivations of the film’s serial killer antagonist.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of motivation

Noun

Or all-wheel drive—something that has been a characteristic of every new road-going Bentley since the turn of the century.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
The ash campaign differs from the push to save elm trees because the elm drive is a breeding program rather than an inoculation effort.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drive

Browse Nearby Words

ambit

ambition

ambitionless

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“Ambition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambition. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ambition

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